Maybe one of the most neglected/ignored (and certainly most difficult) teachings of Jesus is his teaching of nonviolence and love of enemy. Jesus' teaching found in Matthew 5:38-48 was thee central ethic that inspired both Martin Luther King's Civil Rights Movement and Ghandi's Indian Independence Movement. In a collection of Dr. King's sermons entitled, Strength to Love, King says this about Jesus teaching of love of enemy...

"Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, the command to love one's enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist: he is the practical realist." - Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love

Jesus' teaching forces us to consider if we believe Jesus is truly onto something? Is nonviolence and love of enemy a viable option for our world today? Can we take Jesus at his word? Above is a sermon I preached in a series on the Sermon on the Mount focusing on Matthew 5:38-48. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with nonviolence and love of enemy.